French Baguettes

French Baguettes

"Bread Machine Version"

Makes 2 baguettes (Could try making one large loaf and adjust the cooking time accordingly)

1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 tsp. wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Egg Wash:
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

1) Place ingredients into bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle, and press Start.

2) When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. (I spray dough with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap.) (Preheat an oven at 125 deg. F. for 1 minute, then turn off to create the warm environment. Put dough in oven-safe bowl in oven to rise.) Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

3) Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle.



Cut dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles.



Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. (Can preheat oven as stated before and rise in oven.)


(I forgot to put the slashes in the bread when I took the picture, but I went back and did it afterwards.)

4) Take bread out of oven if you let it rise in there. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix egg white with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves. (You can top it with kosher salt or seasonings if desired. I used kosher salt in the picture at the top.)

5) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Tip:
I've read many places, that in order to get a crisp crust, you must put a metal bowl of water at the bottom of your oven while cooking. Somehow this steams the bread and makes it have a crispy crust. I'll be trying that next time to see if it works. The crust in this recipe turned out soft.



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